We could be witnessing a watershed moment in Andile Phehlukwayo’s career as he scores a maiden century for the Dolphins in a 4-Day Series clash against the Rocks in Paarl, writes Werner Erasmus.
371. That is the number of innings Andile Phehlukwayo had padded up to bat in cricket at the professional level without scoring a century before he finally broke the dam wall, or the damn wall if you prefer.
His elation when he reached his milestone was visible to all in attendance at Boland Park and those who tuned in to the live feed of the match against the Paarl Rocks on 5 March 2022.
Let’s rewind for a moment. Andile made his professional debut at the tender age of 17 when he took 3/69, a good return for the youngster but quickly forgotten as he made a pair with the bat and KwaZulu-Natal went on to lose by an innings and 155 runs to Western Province. It belied his talent with the bat, which in a sense served as a foreshadowing of his young career to follow.
Andile went on to make his List A debut for the Dolphins in 2014 where he didn’t get to bat and ended with figures of 0/21 off his allotted 4 overs. In 2016 he made his ODI debut against Ireland at Benoni, the same match in which Temba Bavuma announced his arrival in that format with a maiden century. Andile once again didn’t get an opportunity to bat and ended with figures of 0/22 off his 4 overs.
Since his debut, only Kagiso Rabada has taken more wickets (89) than the 86 that Andile has taken in ODI’s. He also has what is known in cricket terms as a “golden arm”. In other words, he is the man the captain looks to turn to when the game has started to drift a bit and a wicket is needed and he often provides. This however is only one aspect of his game.
Batting at number 7 or lower in the order, which he has done in 41 out of his 44 innings, is a thankless job. As a batter, you either come in needing to strike lusty blows right at the back end, from the get-go, or you need to save the side from an almost hopeless situation. You will likely fail more than you will succeed.
A good example of where Andile succeeded is when he came in at 80/5 against Pakistan in 2019 in the 2nd ODI in Durban in chase of 204. He made his highest score of 69 (80) in an unbroken partnership of 127 with Rassie van der Dussen (80*) to see the team over the line. This was also after taking 4/22 with the ball in the first innings in a Man of the Match performance. That match showcased the full ability Andile has and is why it has been frustrating at times to not see him kick on, especially with the bat.
Fast forward to the present and Andile has started to regain confidence and form with the bat. He made 48 off only 22 deliveries vs the Netherlands at the backend of 2021, which included 6 sixes. He smashed a further 6 in the 2022 edition of the CSA T20 Challenge where he maintained an average of 31 and a strike rate of 141.
Combine all this with his 107 (223) against the Paarl Rocks and we might just be witnessing what could be a watershed moment for the 26-year-old from the coast.
